COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:Alan Carter: Lightning in a bottle. From his first appearance on GL, you knew you were watching a star. He was the best young actor in a generation and why he doesn't have a prime time show is a mystery to me.

Nelson Aspen: GL's attempt to recreate Roger Howarth's "Todd Manning," resulted in bringing this "sexy beast" to daytime. Jonathan Randall was a bright spot during one of the show's most tumultuous periods, creating instant chemistry with all of his costars, especially Kim Zimmer (how great it was to see Reva in a front burner storyline that didn't involve sex or spaceships!). Even with his tendency to chew scenery, Tom is the closest we had to James Dean in daytime.

Patrick Erwin: The scenes where Pelphrey’s Jonathan confronted Kim Zimmer’s Reva on GL were the most honest, uncomfortable scenes I’d seen on daytime in decades. Pelphrey is an exciting talent (and a theater-trained one, to boot).

Roger Newcomb: Pelphrey's great run on GUIDING LIGHT has been well-documented with two Emmys and two other nominations to show for it. But if that wasn't impressive enough, seeing him in a one may show last summer doing the voices of an entire Italian family clinched for me that this was a one-of-kind talent.

Damon L. Jacobs: Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, I would have to guess that Tom Pelphrey lived his last life as a lion. With his ferocious roar, yet gentle touch, this actor's bestial and primal inner spirit has assisted in propelling him forward in his artistic career, and on this list. I believe we have only seen the beginning of what this unpredictable and fierce storm of talent is capable of. Remember that when you see him on stage accepting his first Tony award!

COMMENTS FROM CO-STARS/CO-WORKERS/INDUSTRY:Robert Newman: (worked with Pelphrey on GUIDING LIGHT) I was sitting with Tommy Pelphrey and Jeff Branson in Vegas the other day, and I said, “I wasn’t even as close to being as good as you guys are at the ages you were when you started.” They are so good at what they do! And then I watch myself in those clips when I was roughly their age and I’m like [groan].

6 comments:

I've had my say and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But over 60 years of daytime drama sctors, is Pelphrey really one the 50 BEST actors? A sensation on GL, he grew to be a good actor over the years. But this choice only drives home the pount that this list is about popularity, not serious acting skills--or deep critical thinking.

@"Marlena" Thank you Connie, for participating in the panel of 15 critics that compiled this list of the 50 Greatest Soap Actors. We think you will find other entries on this list quite satisfactory. Fortunately, having 15 critics participate disallows one person's bias to overshadow or dominate the entire list, and allows for a more democratic process to take place. Fifteen critics will never completely agree, but we believe the other 14 participants are quite capable of discerning professional opinions and critical thinking.

So "Marlena" is dismissing the entire list, that SHE contributed to, simply because she thinks Pelphrey should not be on it?

She's insulting all 14 of her colleagues, including Mimi Torchin, Alan Carter, and Lynn Leahey, by saying they voted out of popularity instead of critical thought because she disagrees with their choices?

Sounds like Ms. DelaCroix is the one incapable of critical thinking. My advice is that next time you leave her to play in her sandbox alone.